Ceiling construction



Jab. 8, 1935. J. OEHRLEIN El AL CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 11, 19322 Sheets-Sheet l Jan, 8, 1935.

J. QEHRLEIN ET AL CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 11, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CEILINGCONSTRUCTION ration of New York,

Julius Oed and one-third to said Application June 11, 1932, Serial No.616,690

3 Claims.

Primarily the invention is concerned with the.

provision of an improved type of ceiling, or wall covering construction,of the built-up panel type by the use of which the walls or ceiling, but

particularly the overhead structure or ceiling of a room, may bequickly, easily, and inexpensively covered, so as to be more attractivein appearance, and which at the same time has sound absorbingproperties. so that the acoustics of the room to which the newlysuggested covering is applied are greatly improved. Sound deadeningstructures for room lining purposes have heretofore been designed orsuggested, such as wall board of fibrous structure, but, generallyspeaking, the structures of this type, which have actually been put intouse have not been attractive in appearance but have, on the other hand,caused the walls and ceilings to appear more or less unfinished and, onaccount of the roughness of their finish, are more or less dirtcatchers. In accordance with the present invention, a wall or ceilingcovering of the built-up panel type is provided which is at the sametime highly ornamental and thoroughly efllcient in absorbing sound andwhich can be painted-or sprayed without decreasing its efilciency inabsorbing sound.

A further and important object of the invention, however, is to providea room lining structure which is more attractivein appearance and morefireproof than the ordinary and usual wall and ceiling liningconstructions heretofore employed,

whether the improved lining structure has or has not the capacity toabsorb or dampen sound vibrations.

Due to the materials used in modern construction, such as steel, tile,terrazzo floors, and hard smooth plaster surfaces, the majority ofbuildings are poorly equipped from an acoustic standpoint. The acousticconditions in such rooms, ofiices, etc., can be corrected efliciently,quickly, and economically by the installation of a type of ceilingconstructed in accordance with the present invention. ll'he improvedceiling is attractive in appearance 'and presents a smooth paintedsurface to the eye. It can be washed, sprayed, aiid repaintedinnumerable times without lessening its acoustical eificiency.

Many methods of acoustical correction employ perforated surfaces, suchas fibrous board or felt substances covered with porous cloth. Thismethod is unattractive and, due to the exposed porous surface, is a dustcatcher, needing frequent and expensive cleaning, and cannot berepainted without losing some of its effectiveness due to the closing ofthe surface pores by the 6 paint. Another advantage of the smoothpainted or baked enamel surfaces of the improved ceiling is that theyhave .a maximum eificiency for reflecting light, there being no exposedperforated or porous material to absorb the light.

Several forms of ceilings embodying my improvements will be describedhereinafter, which forms are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,but it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the variousembodiments set faith 15 are presented by way of example only and that,without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the designand arrangement of its component elements may be considerably modifiedin adapting the same to different condi tions and varying types ofsupporting structure?" In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a ceiling constructionembodying the invention, viewed irom below;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on line H of Figure 1;

, Figure 3" is a section through a portion of one of the ceiling panels;

Figure 4 is a view,'looking upwardly, of a portion of a ceilingconstruction of somewhat different type; v

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4:

- Figure 6 is a section on line 68.of Figure 4;

Figure 'l is a perspective view of one of the 5 dividing strips shown inFigures 4, 5, and 6:

Figureuisaperspective view ofasound deadening panel having aconstruction somewhat different from that of the panels shown in Figures1, 2, and 3;

Figure 9 is a sectional view form of panel;

Figure 10 is a similar view of a panel of somewhat different type, notdesigned or intended for use in sound deadening constructions: and

Figure 11 is a sectioni through a .portion of a ceiling structureshowingljthe manner of assembling panels of the type illustrated inFigure 10.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in covering overheadstructures and to give the ceilings of buildings of all typesacousticlinings of ornamental and finished appearance. It is illustrated andwill be described as applying particularly to ceilings, but it will beunderstood 56 40 or a still further that, at least in certain of itsaspects, it is well adapted for use in covering walls.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 ofthe drawings comprises essentially a plurality of parallel supportingrails or strips 10 and a plurality of panels 11 arranged in rows betweensuch strips. The strips 10 are preferably hollow sheet metal structuressubstantially rectangular in cross-section. While these supportingstrips may be fabricated in various ways, the form-shown is entirelysatisfactory for general purposes, each strip comprising two membersrigidly secured together, a base member 12 and a channel-like member 13,both members being preferably formed of sheet metal but the base 12being of somewhat heavier gauge metal than that used in the fabricationof the channel member.

The side walls of channel members 13 are exteriorly grooved adjacenttheir lower edges, as at 14, 14, to receive and support the edges ofadjacent panels, and the upper margins of these side walls are outwardlyturned to form flanges 15, 15 which are clamped, respectively, betweenthe lower surface of the base and the flanges 16, 16,

formed by bending the lateral margins of the base throughiangles ofsubstantially Nails,

.bolts, or screws-17 may be used to secure the completed strips 10 tothe overhead structure of a room, such nails, bolts, or screws beingpassed through the side flanges of the strips and into overhead beamssuch as indicated at 18, which beams may be of wood, concrete, orsteel.Other be readily affixed to a plastered-ceiling.

The details of construction of the panels may be clearly seen from aninspection" of Figures 2 and 3. Each panel comprises a generally flatstructure preferably formed of sheet metal and having a lower facerendered ornamental by painting, the upper face or surface of the panelbeing adapted to support a body,vindicated at 19, of flbrousmaterialsuch as mineral wool or wood flber preferably'having both flre resistingand sound absorbing properties. The panel selected for illustration inFigures 1, 2, and 3 is formed of two separate sheet metal membersrigidly secured together, a back piece or member 20 and a front piece ormember 21. The back piece is rectangular in outline, in fact square inthe embodiment illustrated, but has its central portion entirely cutaway, leaving a large rectangular opening, the edge of which isindicated at 22. In forming this opening, marginal portions of themetallic member 20 lying along the edges of the opening are turned back,as indicated at 23, these portions or backwardly turned flangesconstituting stifiening elements.

Member 21 is also rectangular, is disposed parallel to the back piece 20of the panel, and is larger than the opening 22 formed in member 20, themargins of member 21 projecting outwardly beyond the edges 22 of theopening in member 20, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. The margins24 of member 21 are turned at right angles to the body of thismember toform flanges. These flanges are centrally cut away along their upperedges as at 25, 25, but the ends of each flange are preferably leftintact so that they extend above edges 25 and may be used as means'forsecuring member 21 to member 20. Thus these corner posts,-so to speak,may be welded to member 20 or may be passed through apertures formed inmember 20 and headed or clinched over if desired, as shown in Figure 3.In effect, therefore, members 20 and 21 comprise a single rigid andgenerally flat panel but which has a central portion which liesforwardly of and is spaced from the back plate. This central portion 21comprises a complete closure forzthe aperture in the back plate exceptin that elongated slots or openings are left between the edges 25 ofmember 21 and the adjacent faces of the back plate 20. In the panelshown there are four of these slots, but each slot may be broken up intosmaller openings if desired.

\ Two parallel edges of each panel are provided .with tongues 26 adaptedto extend into the mutually facing grooves 14 of two adjacent supportingstrips 10, and the other two parallel edges, 'disposed at right anglesthereto, are formed as shown in Figure 3, one such edge having a groove,indicated at 28, formed by crimping or bending the edge of the plate asshown in Figure 3, and the other edge having a tongue 27 formed there-.in and which projects within the mating groove 28 formed in the adjacentedge of the neighboring panel. By forming these edges of the panels themanner just described, it is possible, in

assembling the ceiling structure, to interlock the meeting edges of thepanels, the tongue of one panel being received in the groove providedfor that purpose in the next adjacent panel. In this manner each row ofpanels comprises, when the ceiling'structure is completed, in effect, acontinuous sheet, there being no apertures between panels, and thestructure being thereby made more rigid, free from vibration andrattling, and impervious to vertical drafts of air.

The panels just described are particularly designed and intended' tosupport upon their upper surfaces layers of sound deadening material,flreprooflng material, or materials which possess both sound deadeningand fireprooflng properties, such, for instance, as mineral wool. Suchmaterial is deposited in the form'of a body having desired area andrequisite depth. It is, of course, mainly supported by the lower plate21 and substantially fllls this plate as well as overlying plate 20. Itmay be placed in position loosely packed in sacks or bags of looselywoven material such asmuslin, as shown in the drawings.

The ceiling structure just described may be erected in various ways. Onestrip 10 is,'in any instance, however, first placed in position,preferably along and parallel to the sidewalls of the room. The firstrow of panels may then be positioned by inserting the tongues 26 ofthese panels in groove 14 of the supporting strip and causing themeeting edges of the the panels to interlock. A second supporting stripmay then be positioned, the aligned free edges of the completed panelrow being inserted in the appropriate groove 14 of the second stripprior to the time when the strip is securedto the overhead supportingstructure. A second row of panels may then be placed in position,followed by a third supporting strip, and so on across the room.- Undersome conditions, all of 'the supporting strips may first be positionedand the panels themselves thereafter properly positioned by sliding themendwiseofthe supporting strips, the supporting strips serving as guidesand trackways for the panels as they move into final position.

The exposed faces of the panels may be suitably decorated as by paintingor enameling, either before or after they are finally positioned, andthe completed ceiling. is highly ornamental in appearance. The improvedceiling structure possesses valuable sound deadening properties, thesound waves resulting from disturbances in the room being largelydampedout by reason of the fact that they will pass, or large portions of themwill pass, through the slots formed in flanges 24 of the bottom plates21 and thence into the mineral wool or other sound deadening backing.The slots in members 24 may, of course, vary in area to suit conditions,or, as has previously been pointed out, these slots may be dispensedwith and openings of othershapes and sizes formed in flanges 24. Beingcomposed of metal and preferabLv with the addition of fireproofingmaterial such as mineral wool, it is furthermore fireproof in characterand will offer a very considerable resistance to the passage of flame,thus protecting the overhead structure from which the ceilingissupported. i

In the embodiment disclosed in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, provision is madefor the addition to the ceiling shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of crossstrips or dividing strips intermediate the panels and bridging the spacebetween adjacent supporting strips or rails 10. One of these strips isshown in perspective in Figure 7 and is seen to comprise an elongatedmember having along one edge a panel engaging groove 30 and along theopposite edge a tongue 31, together with axial projections 32 adapted toenter the grooves formed in members 10. The manner of interlocking theedges of the dividing strips shown with the edges of adjacent panels isshown in section in Figure 5. In this figure the projecting tongue 31 ofthe dividing strip is received in groove 28 of one adjacent panel, andthe groove 30 of the dividing strip receives the tongue 27 of the otheradjacent panel, the dividing stripbeing thus interlocked with the panelson both sides. In Figure 4 the dividing strips are indicated at 33, andfrom this view it may be seen that the effect of the dividing stripsinthe ceiling is to lead the observer to believe that the supportingframework of the panels comprises two systems of supporting beams orrails which are disposed at right angles to each other. By coloring thedividing strips similarly to the longitudinal supporting strips 10 andby differently coloring the panels, a very attractive effect may beobtained.

In Figure 8 a panelhaving two lower or front plates instead of a singlefront plate is disclosed, these front plates being indicated at 21'. Ifdesired, the panels may be formed with three or more of these frontplates, each covering a slightly smaller-aperture formed in the main orback plate. By increasing the number of front plates. the total area ofthe gaps or slots provided to permit the penetration of sound waves intothe space above or in rear of the panel may be increased as desired.This is of great advanta e in designin a ceiling particularly intendedto absorb sounds in a room of given size or where machinery of peculiarnature is located or activities of certain types are carried on.

A still greater total area of available openings or apertures for thepassage of sound waves, per unit of area of ceiling, may be had byproviding each panel back plate with a plurality of spaced front plates,as shown in section in Figure 9. In this case there are four frontplates of different sizes, the smallest being lowermost and covering acentral aperture formed in the plate next above.

and this latter plate covering an aperture in the next superposed plate,and so on, slots, gaps, or openings being left between the edges of eachplate and the surface of the plate above. The several plates support arelatively large-body of mineral wool or the like and are very eflicientin deadening sounds. Panels of this type are also quite ornamental inappearance when applied to a ceiling structure and may be used to createdesigns or figures in the ceiling structure by utilizing a number ofthem in conjunction with a number of panels of other types, forinstance, panels of the type shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

While the acoustic panels thus described are preferably formed in two ormore portions rigidly secured together, the invention .is not limited toany particular panel construction or method of making the same. Thus thepanels may be formed of one piece by a suitable pressing operationwherever this may be found possible or,

should the panels be molded of some material other than metal, can alsobe made in one piece. Within the spirit and intent of the invention,numerous expedients canbe resorted to in effecting the speedymanufacture of the individual panels at low cost.

The panel illustrated in perspective in Figure 10"is not primarilyintended for sound absorbing purposes but may be employed where aninexpensive fireproofing or heat insulating ceiling is desired. Eachpanel 40 is provided with an upturned flange 41, which flange in turnterminates in a lateral flange 42 which may be secured, as by screws 43,to a longitudinal metallic strip 44 of slightly different type from thatform of supporting strip shown in the "previous forms of the inventiondescribed. The lower edge of flange 41 is grooved as at 45, and theparallel remote edge of the panel is provided with a tongue 46. Thelateral edges are provided with tongues 47 and grooves, one of which isindicated at 48.

In erecting a ceiling made up of panels such as that just described, thesupporting members 44 are first erected and thereafter the panelsapplied individually, the operator preferably working transversely ofthe room and inserting each tongue 46 into the groove '45 of the paneljust previously positioned. In this manner a ceiling of great simplicitymay be quickly erected. The panels need not be applied in any definitesequence,.but it will be obvious that, inasmuch as each panel is to belocked to adjacent panels along its lateral edges as well as along theedges which run parallel to the supporting strips 44,

it will be most convenient to proceed to add panels in such manner thateach may be simultaneously fitted to two adjacent panels by a diagonalmovement of the panel into contact with the exposed edges of twopreviously erected panels. A

body of some material such as mineral wool may be placed upon the uppersurface of each panel as it is finally positioned, as indicated .at 49.It is obvious, of course, that the panels shown in Figures 10 and 11 maybe provided with front plates, apertures, and sound deadening backingsif desired, that is, may be converted into acoustic panels. In otherwords, the acoustic panels shown in Figures 1 to 9 of the drawings maybe affixed to a ceiling by the specific means disclosed in Figures 10and 11. Still other means for attaching acoustic panels of the typedescribed to the overhead structure of a room may be employed ifdesired.

The panels need not be rectangular in shape but may be round or may haveirregular outlines. For large ceilings the panels may be in the form ofstrips of considerable length, which strips may be fabricated andassembled at relatively low cost. By using larger units in ceilingconstruction, the time required for assembly may, of course, beminimized. Togive a room provided with such a ceiling a finishedappearance, suitable moldings or cornices may be employed to cover thejoints between the edges of the ceiling and the walls of the room. Wherethe acoustic panels are employed to line or cover the side walls of aroom or where the ceiling is inclined, the sound absorbing or deadeningmaterial is preferably confined by any suitable means to prevent slidingor displacement relatively to the panels.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:'

1. A panel for use with a body of sound absorbing-material as a memberof a sound absorbing gins of the second sheet and the face of the firstsheet.

or each plate spaced from the body of the next larger plate.

3. A ceiling panel for use with a body or sound absorbing material as amember or a sound absorbing ceiling of a room, said panel comprising aflat member, the margins of which may be attached to a supportingstructure, said member having a relatively large central aperture formedtherein for the passage 01' sound waves; and means positioned uponthatside of the member which faces the room interior when the panel isin use which comprises a complete cover for said aperture, said meansbeing imperiorate in a direction normal to the said member, and having aplurality of perforations, the axes of which are substantially parallelto said member, through which sound waves'may pass to the centralaperture in said member.

. JULIUS OEHRLEIN.

JULIUS OED.

